Almost Is Never Enough
by marauderzoe
Summary: Caroline has decided to leave the Mystic Falls gang behind and to finally get a normal life. She goes to Harvard university, far away from the supernatural drama. Of course, the blonde vampire doesn't get to enjoy her normal life for long. Old enemies show up at her dorm in need of her help. And let's not forget about the Big Bad she can't quite put out of her mind.
1. Prologue

This is a Caroline-centric fic. It does include some Klaroline (because they're my OTP and are so perfect for one another), but also some other of my favourite characters. You'll get to meet them later on (don't want to give anything away).

This story takes place after 5x11 (the promise and the klarokiss). Everything that has happened on TVD after that episode can be ignored. Also, in this world, Hayley and Klaus never had sex, so the hypbrid baby doesn't exist.

This is my first story, so bear with me guys. Also, English isn't my maternal language, so sorry for any mistakes.

I hope you like it.

btw, title is named after the song 'Almost is never enough' by Ariana Grande and Nathan Sykes.

Zoë

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

"_There's a time for silence and a time for waiting your turn. But our time of waiting is over. Today we graduate and we look to our future while we say goodbye to yesterday._

_I remember a good friend of mine telling something very wise during my first year at Harvard. He told me about the beauty of mortality. We were all full of potential, trying to make the best of it. This was our one shot at becoming someone. It was now or never. It's scary if you put it like that. Today we're graduating and we get out of here. It's time for us to be someone. Our time has finally come. Our college days are over. We're heading out there, taking up new responsibilities and continue to build that life that we have always imagined ourselves having. _

_But you want to know what I have also learnt? Our future isn't etched in stone. Things can change. Life is a funny thing, you know. I always had this idea of how it was supposed to be. Go to high school, graduate, go to college and get my degree. And then, I would be out in the real world with a job and a career. I always thought that that was the way it's supposed to be. But I've learnt better. A lot has happened these past couple of years. I've met a lot of different people, all struggling with their own demons, trying to build a life for themselves. They've all taught me some lessons that could apply to real life._

_My life has changed so much in these couple of years. I've seen things that I never thought were possible. I've loved and lost. But all in all, I've had a great time. But I don't know what I want anymore. It's strange, because I told this guy, some six years ago, that I had been in college. That I was building a life for myself. I'd told him I had plans, a future, and that none of those involved him. He'd walked away that day, telling me that I never again had to look him in the eye. Let's just say that that hadn't exactly worked out that way. None of my plans have turned out how I had expected them to. Life is funny that way. _

_Someone once let me in on a little secret. There was a whole world out there, waiting for me. Great cities and art and music, genuine beauty. And I could have it all. All I had to do was ask. I guess this is me asking. I've had a taste of the life I had always believed I wanted. But I found out that I wanted more."_


	2. Chapter 1

Author's note: a friend of mine is busy working on cover art, but in the meantime it's another drawing she's made of klaroline. (you can find her on deviant art (2brighteyes).

That's all.

I hope you like it :)

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><p><strong>Six years ago<strong>

**Caroline**

"I can't believe you're going to study at Harvard. I'm so proud of you, Caroline." Caroline hugged her mother. "It still feels so surreal to me. Who would've thought? Harvard. Majoring in organismic and evolutionary biology. It's probably the last thing anyone had ever seen me doing in the future." "Harvard is lucky to have you, Care. You'll do great. And as much as we're going to miss having you around, you deserve to get out there and have some fun." Matt said as he pulled Caroline in a hug. Caroline smiled at Matt's words. It was time for her to leave. It's what everyone was doing these days.

Bonnie, Jeremy, Elena and Damon were in LA. All together and happy. Caroline had spend part of her vacation there, but had headed back home to spend some more time with her mom before leaving for college. "You can always come back, if you want." Her mother said. "I'm good, mom. This is what I need. I'm going to miss you. Both of you." Caroline pulled them into another hug. "You're going to do great. And it's about time you head out on your own. It will do you some good to be away from all the drama." Caroline smiled at her mother. Although Caroline's life hadn't been what her mother had hoped it would be, with her becoming a vampire and all that, she knew that her mother loved her and wanted her to be happy. Caroline hugged her mom again and got into the car with Stefan, leaving her mom and Matt behind.

A tear escaped from her eyes. Stefan grabbed her knee. "They'll be fine without us, Caroline." Caroline looked at Stefan. Caroline tried to smile. He was right after all. They'd gone through a lot the past year. As her mother and Matt disappeared in the rear-view mirror, Caroline felt the doppelganger drama, the Other Side, Tyler, the travellers and Enzo disappearing with them. It was time to start a new page. She and Stefan spent the rest of the day on the road, driving to her new home. They talked a lot about trivial stuff to pass the time. Caroline leaned her head back and sighed. As much as Caroline loved her friends, she wanted some time to herself. She wanted the future she had always imagined herself having. And although she knew that she was a vampire and she had the rest of eternity to get a college degree, she wanted to follow through on the life she always imagined having. Caroline needed a normal college experience. No supernatural drama, for once, she just wanted to be a normal young woman going to college and getting a degree.

"Care, we're here. And it hasn't changed much since my time here in the seventies." Caroline smiled and looked outside. She was excited about her new student life. "I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe it Stefan. Me, Caroline Forbes." Stefan smiled as he helped Caroline unload her things. "I've always known you were smart, Care. And once you put your mind to something, you won't stop until you have reached your goal." Stefan said. Caroline pulled him into a hug. "Are you sure you don't want to stick around a year, follow some classes?" Stefan just shook his head. "I love you, Caroline, but I'm going to travel for a while. I just need some time away from everyone." Caroline understood. She had been an advocate for Stefan and Elena being together, but Elena had chosen Damon. And Caroline had made her peace with it. She understood the attraction between them, she understood that there was an allure to darkness. Who was she to judge Elena when she had been with Klaus, although that never counted as a relationship. Stefan had made his peace with it. He wanted them to be happy. And after a year of sticking around Mystic Falls and help deal with everything there, he needed some time off. Just like Caroline needed this. Caroline looked around the campus. It was as amazing as she had imagined it to be. She felt a small pang when she walked around the campus. Caroline wished her mom was here, and her friends. And her dad. She hoped her father would've been proud of her.

"Well, this must be your dorm room." Stefan said as they had halted in front of a red door. Stefan motioned for Caroline to open her door. She was excited about this and also a little nervous. What if her roommates don't like her? Or worse, what if they find out that she's a vampire? Caroline shook her worries off and took a deep breath. She opened the door and stepped inside. She smiled. It was everything she could ever imagine it to be. The common room was nice and cosy. There was a large sofa, a TV and a table. There were four other doors in the room. Three which would be leading toward the bedrooms and one to the bathroom. Caroline was glad that it was a full scholarship ride, because her mom could never have afforded Harvard.

Her roommates were already there. The light brown-haired girl stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Marissa and this is Elodie." She said as she motioned to the redhead. "I'm Caroline and this is Stefan." Caroline introduced them. Stefan smiled politely. "I'll go get the rest of your stuff." Stefan said as he turned and left the room. Caroline put her stuff in her room and started getting everything out of the few boxes before heading back to the living area to wait for Stefan. The two girls had been whispering to another but hushed when she stepped back into the room. Elodie tilted her head and looked at Caroline. "Let me guess, small town girl, former head cheerleader, homecoming queen and dating the former high school quarterback. You're probably majoring in journalism or something that could get your pretty face out there. I'm betting you're daddy is paying for your education, but is too busy to see his little girl off. How am I doing so far?" Caroline was surprised by the redhead's brashness and hostility. This wasn't really how she had thought it would go. Caroline smiled sweetly at Elodie. "Not bad, except that my best friend was prom queen, my ex was the high school quarterback, I'm majoring in organismic and evolutionary biology and did I forget something. Right, my father's dead. But you did stellar at being a judgemental bitch, so way to make an impression." Caroline could see Elodie's jaw drop in surprise at the same time that Stefan had returned with the rest of her things. He could probably feel the tension in the room. "Everything okay here?" Caroline nodded. "Yeah, we were just getting to know one another." Caroline said as she took one of the boxes from Stefan and brought them to her room.

Stefan followed her inside and helped her organise everything. "I couldn't help but overhear part of the conversation." Stefan whispered to her. She could hear the worry in his voice. "I'm fine, Stefan. It's not like this is the first time I'm heading to college and my dad isn't here. I'm good." Stefan didn't seem entirely convinced, but dropped the subject. It didn't take long to make her room look more like hers. Caroline smiled when she surveyed their work. Her room wasn't big, but it was just big enough. There was a double bed, a desk by the window, a wardrobe for her clothes, a dresser and some boards for her books. The walls were in light blue with light coloured woodwork and her room was decorated with some auburn-coloured elements. "I like it. I'm sure you'll feel right at home." Stefan said as he joined Caroline in looking at her room. They headed back to the common room.

Elodie and Marissa were still there. "Caroline, I'm sorry. I can be a bit judgemental. My apologies. Can we maybe start over? I have a mini-fridge with blood bags, if you want." Caroline's jaw dropped. She listened for the heartbeats in the room. There was only one regular, coming from Marissa. Stefan just started laughing. "Would you look at that, Care, you've only been here for a day and you've already found another vampire. And she's your roommate nonetheless." Caroline didn't find it as amusing as Stefan. She looked at Marissa. "How do you know about vampires?" "I'm a witch." Caroline sighed. "Now all we need is a werewolf and our party would be complete." Both Marissa and Elodie looked at Caroline in surprise. "And here we thought werewolves were a myth. I guess it was a tad presumptuous of us to assume that only witches and vampires existed alongside humans." Elodie said with a smile. "How about a drink?" Stefan proposed while looking at Caroline and realising that she would need one. "I know a bar we could go to, unless it's blood you want." "We're good. Let's go."

And that's how Caroline and Stefan found themselves in a bar on campus with another vampire and a witch, exchanging stories about their lives. Stefan asked how Marissa and Elodie had got to know one another. Elodie and Marissa had been friends ever since they were little, growing up together. While Elodie was a vampire and Marissa a witch, they made their friendship work, because they were friends before species. And since Elodie wasn't one to kill humans, they never found themselves at odds about their morals. Caroline couldn't help but notice the parallels between her life and theirs. "How about the two of you? You two wanted to be together forever and ever and ever?" Caroline had almost spilled her drink when the words had left Elodie's mouth. "Yeah, because we're such romantics at heart." Stefan said as he rolled his eyes. "Stefan taught me a lot about being a vampire and helped me to learn how to control my cravings. We're sort of like one another's sponsor and we became very close friends. Nothing more." Marissa and Elodie nodded in understanding. "I take it that Stefan is the elder vampire then. If you don't mind me asking, when were you turned?" "In 1864." Marissa's eyes went wide. "Wow, you're like over a century old." Caroline looked at the girl in disbelief. "Have you guys met other vampires besides the one that turned Elodie?" They shook their head. "Elodie's maker taught her all she needed to know before taking off. We've lived a quiet life mostly. How about you, you met a lot of vampires?" Caroline and Stefan exchanged a look. "Some." Caroline didn't know them yet and she wasn't about to share too much of her past with them. The girls seemed to notice that this was a subject to be brought up when they had known each other longer.

"So, Caroline, you're majoring in biology something, right? No offence, but that's not exactly something I see you doing." "Organismic and evolutionary biology. Yeah, I never thought I would be majoring in this either, but last year I followed an intro to microbiology and chemistry, and it stuck. I have the rest of eternity to learn all there is I want to learn, but for now, this is what has peaked my interest. What about you guys?" Marissa's major's anthropology while Elodie is going to be studying art history. "And you?" Marissa asked Stefan. "I'm not attending Harvard. I already did so in the seventies. Besides, I need some time off, I'm going to do some travelling." "Any idea where you're going to go?" Elodie asked. "I haven't really got a plan. I might go to New Orleans, though, visit some friends." The reference wasn't lost on Caroline. "I'm sure they'll welcome you with open arms." "Didn't Klaus offer you a one-way ticket to join him in New Orleans?" Stefan countered Caroline's sarcasm. "Yeah, two years ago, besides, that was before his promise." Caroline couldn't help but wonder about Klaus. After their encounter in the woods, she hadn't heard anything from him. No cards, no phone calls. He had probably moved on. After all, the thrill of the chase had disappeared. And she was done with him anyway. Klaus was out of their lives, for good. Yet, she couldn't ignore the small pang of loss she felt when she thought about it. "A guy like him doesn't just fall out of love, Care." Caroline shrugged Stefan's answer off. "Enough about Klaus, please. Don't tell me you're actually going to advocate for him, are you? Need I remind you of all the terrible things he's done? Killing Jenna, killing Carol, terrorising his own family, keeping you as his lapdog, need I say more?" Stefan held his hand up in defeat. "I was only joking, Caroline. Anyway, I don't know where I'm going to go." They spend some more time at the bar, talking about inconsequential things, before heading back to their dorm.

"Well, I'm going to take off, but before I go, I have a something for you." Stefan said as they entered the dorm room. Stefan pulled out a bottle of bourbon. "It's one of the best we had at the house. I figured you might one to have a bottle around." Caroline smiled as she took the bottle. "You didn't have to get me anything, but I'm glad you did." Caroline hugged Stefan and then went to put the bottle in her room. "I'm off. Marissa, Elodie, it was nice meeting you and keep an eye on Caroline for me, would you? She's a great girl and an even better friend. Have a nice year and enjoy your time as a student." Marissa and Elodie said goodbye to Stefan and wished them a lot of fun on his travels. Caroline walked Stefan to the door. "Write, call, text, e-mail, just keep in contact, okay? If I don't hear from you at least every week, I'm going to have Marissa do a locater spell and come and find you." Stefan smiled as he pulled Caroline in a hug. "I will. I'm going to miss you, Care. You'll do great here, I know you will. Have fun, make mistakes, enjoy your life, stay away from guys with an accent, study hard and don't worry that pretty little mind of yours." Stefan said. Caroline smacked him for the accent remark, but let it go. She knew he was only joking. "Take care of yourself, Stefan. Don't worry too much. Elena's fine. Damon may not be the best person, but he loves her and he would do anything to keep her safe. And I'll be okay, too. I have a witch and a vampire to keep me company. I love you and if there's anything, anything at all, you'll know where to find me." Caroline didn't want to let go of Stefan. If he left, she'd be truly alone. No one who knew who she really was or what she's been through. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea. She smiled through the tears that had formed. "I love you too, Care, but you'll have to let me go. And I promise you, I'll come back. I'll do my best not to worry too much, if you promise me you'll do the same." Stefan said as he reluctantly let her go. Caroline nodded as she let him go, too. "Take care, Caroline Forbes. 'Till we meet again." And Stefan left. Caroline closed the door and headed back to the common room.

**Klaus**

Klaus watched as Caroline and Stefan stepped out of the car. His heart jumped at the sight of the blonde. She was so radiant and full of light. He heard her talking to Stefan. Klaus shook his head as he heard her say that she couldn't believe she actually made it here. How he wanted to tell her that she could do anything she wanted. He felt a small pang when he heard Stefan's response. That was what he had wanted to tell her. Klaus didn't really know why he had come. After all, she'd made it clear that she wanted to be free of him. And he'd given her that. Never in his entire lifetime had he met someone like Caroline Forbes. She was strong, beautiful and just a beacon of light to him. Niklaus didn't know when he'd started to fall for her, but he had. And nothing he did could get her out of his mind. Unfortunately, she didn't let herself feel the same. He was certain that if she'd just give in to it, if she allowed herself to let him love her, she'd be happy. So he watched from afar. Letting her live her life, until she was ready. He'd wait a thousand years over for her. Caroline was most definitely worth the wait. Until then, he'd got a small taste to cling to. It was enough for now. He took a deep breath and he could faintly catch her scent. What he would give to stand next to her, to feel her skin against his. Klaus saw her face fall for a moment. She must be thinking of her friends not being there. Or maybe she was thinking about her father. How he wanted to know what was going through that pretty little head of hers.

He followed them as they walked slowly through the campus, making their way to her dorm room. Klaus kept to the shadows, making sure that they didn't spot him. When they halted, he could see that Caroline was trying to hide her nerves. He smiled, knowing what was going through her head at that moment. She would be wondering whether they would like her. He found it endearing that she had this insecurity about herself. They would be crazy not to like her. She was the most amazing and kind person he could imagine ever meeting in his thousand years. He wanted to follow them inside, but that would be too risky. Klaus debated on whether to just go back to New Orleans or to stick around Harvard for a little longer. He decided to go have a drink.

After having ordered another drink, Klaus saw the gorgeous blonde appear. She didn't notice him sitting there, which was good. Stefan was with her and two other girls. He presumed they were her new roommates. He couldn't help himself and listened in on their conversation. Klaus smiled to himself when he found out that her roommates were part of the supernatural community. What had been the odds. And yet, Caroline had found herself a vampire and a witch as roommates. Klaus didn't really mind, he figured that at least that would make it easier on Caroline, not having to pretend. "Well hello you. I'm Maddi." A girl sat down next to Klaus. He gave her a once over. She was pretty, but nowhere near as pretty as the blonde he was focusing on. He smiled at the girl and compelled her to find someone else to bother. He really wasn't in the mood to have company. Klaus smirked when he saw Caroline's face when prompted with the question about her and Stefan. If there was one guy Klaus wasn't worried about trying to make a move on Caroline, it was Stefan. He knew that Stefan saw Caroline as his former friend Lexi. And even if Stefan had some sort of feelings for Caroline, Klaus reasoned that Stefan would respect Caroline too much to choose her as a second choice. No, Klaus was certain that Stefan and Caroline would continue to be just friends.

Klaus' interest was piqued when he heard one of the girls ask why Caroline was majoring in organismic and evolutionary biology. He had to admit it, why she was studying that was beyond him. Klaus wasn't satisfied with the answer she gave the girl. He sighed, it wasn't as if he could get up and get the answer out of her. When Klaus heard Stefan mentioning going to New Orleans, he sat a bit straighter. He wondered whether Caroline would be thinking of him. He was disappointed when she dismissed him so easily. Yet, Stefan continued. He smiled a bit when he heard Stefan tell her that he doesn't fall out of love easily. It was true, Klaus was still very much in love with her. If only Stefan's response would've got a better response. His heart sunk as he heard Caroline sum up some of his highlights of being evil. It shouldn't bother him, but it did. Klaus rarely cared about the opinions of others. If they feared him, good. If they hated him, he could care less, but for some reason, he did care about Caroline's view of him. Klaus wanted to be the kind of person who was worthy of her love. He tuned out when they talked some more about their lives. He emptied his drink and left the bar, making his way to Caroline's dorm. He looked around her room. It was exactly how he imagined it to be like. There were several pictures of her and her friends. After taking one more look at the smiling blonde in one of the pictures, Klaus took off. There was no room in Caroline's life for him. Not yet.

Klaus entered his home in New Orleans and slammed the door. He cursed himself for making that bloody promise. Why did he have to be so honourable for once? Why did he do the right thing by her? He cursed again. Elijah appeared, but Klaus ignored him. He headed for his art studio and slammed the door. He yelled that he didn't want to be disturbed. Klaus took an empty canvas and put it on one of his easels. He just stared at it for a moment. Klaus closed his eyes and images of the gorgeous blonde appeared. She appeared to him like a beacon of light. He remembered the way she had looked today. Caroline had seem so happy and so full of hope. Still untouched by darkness, even after everything she's gone through. Klaus took a paintbrush and started painting. Caroline lingered in his mind. Her startling blue eyes, her smile, her sweet lips. How he wanted her.

Several hours passed as Klaus continued painting. When he was almost done with it, Klaus could hear Elijah standing in front of his door. "If you want to come in, by all means, but do not just stand there." The door opened and Elijah stepped into the studio. Klaus ignored his brother and finished his painting. He was pleased with the result. "Well, that's quite the masterpiece, brother. Where will we hang this one?" Elijah said as he motioned to Klaus' painting. "Don't worry, Elijah, this one is not for us. It's a gift." Klaus saw Elijah raise a brow. "Really, brother? Is it for the human girl?" Klaus suppressed the urge to role his eyes. Why on earth would Klaus ever paint something for Cami. Sure, he talked to her quite often and he flirted with her, but that was all there was to it. After all, he had compelled her to help him write his memoires. Unfortunately Davina had removed the compulsion from her and Cami now knew everything. Cami spoke her mind from time to time, but she refused to believe that Klaus was inherently evil. She always came up with some stupid psychological prognosis that wasn't even remotely true. Unlike Caroline, Cami couldn't believe that someone could simply do bad things, just because they were actually evil. Caroline saw that, Caroline knew that, and yet, despite all the bad things he'd done, Caroline cared for him. Caroline had seen him at his best and at his worst and still, she had been honest with him. Klaus liked to believe that she wanted him for both the good and the bad that was in him.

"I guess I can take that as a no. Marcel maybe?" Elijah was still guessing and Klaus let him. Klaus arranged for the transport of the painting and started writing the note for Caroline. He had to be careful about its contents. He couldn't tell her that he still thought of her, day and night. Klaus couldn't tell her that he loved her and that he had waited his entire life for someone just like her. And he would wait just as long for her to come to him. No, he couldn't put that in the letter. He'd promised her he'd walk away. The painting itself was risky. But he had to do it. Caroline needed something to remember him by.


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's note**

Update time, yay. Sorry to keep you waiting. I hadn't had time to upload or write because I'd been travelling in England, visiting Exeter, Bath and London. But now I'm back home and I have found some time to revise and upload. But here it is. I hope you guys like it :)

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><p><strong>Caroline<strong>

Caroline woke up, momentarily disoriented about her surroundings. And then it hit her. Harvard. University. She smiled. This was it. Her life was actually starting. The past was in the past and she could start anew. A dark thought crawled into her mind. Caroline tried to shoot it down, but it wouldn't go away. She didn't want to think about the fact that she would start anew many times during her long existence. For now, she would just be a normal girl, heading out on her own. Caroline wasn't going to let the fact that she is a vampire stand between her and the normal life she had always wanted, even if she could only have it for a little while. Caroline got out of bed and put on some clothes. Today was the first day of class.

She'd been at Harvard for two nights, getting adjusted to her new life. They'd spent the past day walking around the campus, seeing if there were any groups they might be joining. They hadn't found anything that piqued their interest. Besides, there wasn't anything like a 'Supernaturals Unite' which would've made it easier for them to come into contact with any possible member of the supernatural community. Caroline started to like her roommates more and more. They weren't anything like Elena and Bonnie, but that was what made them new and exciting. She really liked Elodie's brashness and Marissa was the exact opposite of brash. It was funny how Marissa and Elodie managed their friendship.

Caroline grabbed her bag with the things she would need for her lectures. Someone knocked on their dorm. Caroline heard someone get up to open it. She checked the messages on her phone. Both Bonnie and Elena had texted her, wishing her luck at her new university. Stefan had sent Caroline a selfie with some nice scenery. Caroline smiled at Stefan's photo. He seemed to be doing just fine. She heard a man ask whether Caroline was there. Caroline headed back to the common area and was met by a man in his early thirties. "I'm Caroline, can I help you?" The man smiled. "Yes, Miss Forbes, I was asked to personally see to it that this was brought in your hands." The man held a rather large package, wrapped in brown paper. Caroline took it from the man. She was a bit confused by the meaning of this. Caroline had no idea who it could be from. "Do I need to sign anything?" The man shook his head. "No, I'm just the intermediary. The package is in your hands, so my work here is done. Have a nice day ladies."

Caroline stood rooted on the spot. It didn't take too long for her to recover. Elodie asked who it was from. Caroline just shrugged, she had no idea. She still had some time before her first lecture and letting curiosity take the better of her, she opened the package. Caroline gasped as she unwrapped it. It was a painting. She didn't need to search for a card, knowing who it was from. Klaus had sent her a painting. A beautiful painting of the woods at the Salvatore Boarding House. Or at least that was what Caroline believed it to represent. It was a bit blurry and thinking back on that moment, it had been a bit blurry. The woods anyway, everything else she remembered in detail. She could still remember kissing him and how good it had felt and... She stopped herself there. Caroline shrugged. She was probably just reading too much in to it. Still, she couldn't quite shake it off. Why would Klaus even consider sending her a painting? And how had he even known where to send it too? Suddenly Stefan's words from two nights ago echoed through her head. Could Stefan be right? Did Klaus still harbour some feelings for her? "There's a note." Marissa said as she handed Caroline the envelope. Caroline contemplated whether she should open the letter. Should she? After all, hadn't Klaus promised her to walk away? Yet, here was a painting, for her, that told Caroline something else. "You okay, Caroline? You seem a bit shaken. Who's the painting from?" Caroline took a deep breath and turned towards Elodie. "I'm fine. I should get going, I don't want to be late on my first day, do I? We'll meet up after for coffee, right?" Caroline didn't wait for any response and literally whooshed out the door.

Caroline still had ten minutes before her class actually started, but people were slowly filing in and taking a seat. Caroline still had the letter in her hand. Once again she wondered whether she should open it. It's not like Klaus would show up here to check whether she'd opened the letter. Klaus had promised he would leave her be. And yet, she couldn't quite ignore that there was a tiny part of her that wanted to see Klaus again. Caroline tried to suppress the part of her that wanted him, the part that actually cared for him. She couldn't give in to those feelings, not again. Maybe it would be better if she would just throw the letter away. Caroline resisted the urge to scream.

"You look like you're planning to murder someone." Caroline looked at the person who'd said that. If only he knew. "Well I just might, but fortunately for him, he's far away from here, I hope." The guy looked a bit confused. Caroline laughed. "Don't worry, I was only kidding. I'm a good girl, I don't go around killing innocent people." This time the guy smiled. "Good to know. I'm Jasper." "Caroline." Caroline took a good look at Jasper. She didn't find him bad looking, he looked sort of geek chic. He pulled it off rather nicely. "You're a transfer, right?" "Yeah, that obvious?" Caroline asked a bit surprised. "No, it's just that everyone in here has followed the intro to microbiology and I didn't recognise your face. It's obligatory to pass the intro to enter this class, so..." Caroline nodded in understanding. "Where did you transfer from?" "Whitmore college." "Never heard of it." "It's a small college in Virginia." It was that moment the professor walked in and the class began.

When the professor took his leave, Caroline jumped out of her seat. She texted Stefan and asked him to call her as soon as he could. Caroline put the letter in her bag, still not sure what to do. She hoped Stefan might offer some advice. "That was interesting, right?" Caroline looked next to her and saw Jasper. "Yeah. It was." Caroline was still staring at her phone. "You want to go grab a coffee?" Jasper asked a bit hesitantly. It took Caroline a moment to register what he'd said. She was being rude. Caroline really looked at Jasper. He was cute, she had to give him that. And he was probably smart too. Maybe she should give him a chance. It was just a coffee. "Well, I'm supposed to be meeting my roommates, but you're welcome to join." He smiled and accepted the offer. They got some coffee and headed over to the table where she had spotted Marissa and Elodie. She introduced them and before she could say more, her phone went off. Caroline quickly excused herself.

"Finally." Caroline said as she answered Stefan's call. "Hello to you too, Caroline. What's up?" "What does walking away mean to you exactly?" "We're talking about Klaus, I assume. What did he do, show up at your door this morning? Did he ask for another confession?" Stefan said jokingly. Caroline wasn't amused. "I'm serious Stefan. And he might as well have. Klaus sent me a painting. To my dorm room." "So he's keeping tabs on you? It's to be expected, Care. Klaus cares about you, and in his own way he's making sure that you're okay. But I have a feeling there is something more than just a painting." "A note." "What did it say? Did he kill Tyler? Or did he declare his undying love for you?" Caroline didn't respond. She couldn't believe that Klaus would really kill Tyler. "Care, you didn't read the note yet, did you?" "I just don't know if I should. He said that he would walk away, Stefan. I needed him to be out of my life. Gone. And then he just gives me a painting. Totally out of the blue. I can't have this, not now." "Care, I'm not going to tell you what to do. If you don't want to read the note, then just throw it out. But be honest with yourself, why do you care? Don't get mad at me for saying this, but you care about Klaus, even now, you still do. And you hate yourself for it. You hate the fact that you care and that you have feelings for him. You were never in a relationship with Klaus, and I'm not saying you should be in one, but you never gave a chance to those feelings. They've never got the chance to run its course. There is a possibility you're always going to have feelings for him or that there's a small part of you that's going to care. You're going to have to find a way to live with that. And having Klaus out of your life isn't going to change that fact. Or maybe the letter will give you closure. Although I doubt that it would offer more than your time in the woods. Read it or not, it's your choice." Caroline listened to Stefan. She hated that he was right. Why did Klaus fancy her? Her of all people out there? Why did she care about him? Caroline sighed. "You're right. I hate myself for the truth, Stefan. I don't want to feel this way. I want a normal life, simple and easy. Even if it's just for a little while. I can't have him in my life, not when I'm figuring out what I want." "Care, you're not making a life time commitment here. You're just making a simple choice. Reading the letter isn't going to make him show up at your door. When it comes to you, Klaus honours his promises." "Thank you, Stefan. I should probably leave you to your travelling." "Care, I won't love you any less if you decided you wanted to be with Klaus, nor will I think of you differently. You're my best friend and I want you to be happy. I love you and stop worrying, it'll be alright." Caroline felt a tear form in her eye. This was what she had needed to hear. "Thanks again, but I'm not going to just jump on a plane to New Orleans. And I'll try not to worry. I love you too. Stay safe." "You too, Care." And they hung up.

"How is our traveller fairing?" Elodie asked as Caroline rejoined them. "He's good, I guess." Caroline felt a bit guilty for not asking Stefan how he was doing. "So it's about the painting and whoever it's from. Is it from Stefan?" Caroline shook her head and silently cursed Elodie's curiosity. "Let's not talk about that, okay? So, Jasper. What are you majoring in?" Caroline swiftly changed the subject. "Bio-engineering. Who's Stefan?" "My best friend. So, wow, engineering, that's impressive." "What about you guys?" They talked some more about their majors and then headed to their classes. Jasper had asked Caroline out and on a whim, she'd agreed. They would be going out on Friday.

After her first day of class, Caroline was glad to have a moment of peace. After dinner and a shower, she'd decided she needed some time alone. Caroline sat down on her bed and pulled out the letter. She was nervous. And thinking back on her conversation with Stefan, she knew that he was right. Caroline had feelings for Klaus. The Original Hybrid had somehow found a way into her heart. It was easier to admit here, in the dark, when no one was around. Looking at the painting, she also knew that his feelings may have been more than just a crush. He was out of her life. For good. She was looking at the letter and before giving it a second thought, she opened it.

"_Dearest Caroline,_

_I hope you are well. I know I had promised to walk away, so consider this a parting gift. A little late, I know, but since my graduation gift hasn't been what you had hoped it would be, I believed you might find yourself in need of something else. When it came to my ears that you were going to be attending Harvard, I thought you might want something nice to decorate your room with. I hope you find a place to hang this. Congratulations on Harvard, sweetheart, they're very lucky to have you. I hope you get to build the life you've always wanted. I know you will succeed in whatever you do and that you will excel in your life. And I'm certain Harvard will help you get there. Make the most of this experience, love. You deserve this. If there is ever anything I can do, you may always call or visit me in New Orleans. And just in case no one has mentioned it today, I want you to know that you are beautiful, you are strong and you're full of light. If you ever need to talk to someone, I'll be here to listen. I still want to know all about your hopes, your dreams and anything you want in life. _

_Just in case you forgot, the world is still out there, waiting for you. And perhaps one day, you'll ask me. If you were wondering, I still fancy you, love, and not a day will go by that I won't think of you. _

_I must be off, my city won't run itself. _

_Yours truly,_

_Niklaus Mikaelson" _

Caroline couldn't believe it. What game was he playing? They'd made a deal. He was going to butt out of her life and leave he be. This wasn't part of the deal. That jerk wasn't being fair to her. He couldn't throw those words back at her. Caroline got off her bed and started pacing. How dare he? How dare he write something like that? Who did he think he was? Her epic last love? No, she wouldn't take this. And there was no way he was getting away with it.

**Klaus**

Klaus was sitting at Rousseau's thinking about his life with a glass of bourbon. Getting New Orleans back wasn't as satisfying as he hoped it would be. Rebekah was off, enjoying her freedom. Elijah was still here, though. Still, this place was missing something. "You look like you could use another one." Cami said as she poured him another drink. "You could say that, sweetheart." Seeing the blond hair, reminded him off another blonde, far away from here. He wondered what she had thought of the painting. He hoped she'd liked it. Would she have read the letter? Part of him hoped she'd thrown it away. The letter had been more serious and grave than he had intended it to be. But nothing to be done about it now. Klaus groaned when his phone rang, but he picked it up anyway.

"Mikaelson." He grumbled. "What the hell is wrong with you? What part of walking away isn't clear to you? You can't do this." Klaus' spirits were immediately lifted when Caroline's voice rang through the phone, even if she was upset with him. "Caroline, sweetheart, how lovely to hear you voice. How are you, love?" He could hear Caroline huff in frustration. "Don't sweetheart me, Klaus. The painting is one thing, the letter is something else. That went way past walking away and you know it. You promised me you would be out of my life, for good." Klaus smiled despite himself. Her voice had just spun his bad day into pure gold. "If we're speaking of technicalities, I promised you would never again have to look me in the eyes, love. Last time I checked, I'm still in New Orleans and I haven't seen you since our little adventure in the woods." He wondered what Caroline looked like right now. There would probably be a slight blush on her cheeks, both from being upset with him as with the reminder of the woods. He knew that there was a part of Caroline that cared for him. Caroline was attracted to him, but he felt as if there was more to it. Some of the words he had written must have struck a sensitive chord. He couldn't help but feel a little pleased with himself. It was always nice to know that she cared. "That's how you want to play it, fine. You know what, Mikaelson, you are an insufferable, annoying, cocky, frustrating, controlling, selfish, arrogant, stubborn, domineering, hateful Original Hybrid." Klaus almost chuckled when he heard Caroline insulting him. He thought it was endearing. If only he could be doing this face to face. She had stopped pacing somewhere halfway through insulting him. He imagined she was standing with on hand on her hip and just shouting at him. That was his Caroline. He noticed both Marcel and Elijah walking his way. He gave them a small nod in acknowledgment. "And you are a truly magnificent woman, Caroline." She snorted. "Don't turn this around. You promised you'd walk away. I gave you my confession and you had promised. Because I swear to god Klaus, if you ever pull something like this again, I will find a way for you to regret it for the rest of your eternity. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a life I need to get back to. Goodbye, Klaus." "Goodbye sweet Caroline, enjoy your life." And the line went dead.

Klaus smirked at his brother and Marcel when they sat down next to him. "You're in a better mood, brother." Elijah remarked. "Yes, my gift had quite the reaction I had hoped it would be." "So, you're plan was to get a girl to yell at you and tell you that she never wanted to see you again?" Marcel chimed in. "Marcel, my friend, you obviously don't know the lovely lady in question. You see, if she didn't care, she would've just let the whole incident slide. But no, Caroline went through all the trouble of calling me, even though she'd much rather pretend I don't exist. She called, mate, and that is a huge step. Besides, she could've just deleted my number after I walked away, but she kept it, even after almost a year. There is still a part of her that cares." "And how will you proceed?" Elijah asked. "I won't. I did promise her I'd leave her be. I'll give her some time to herself. I remember her telling Stefan that she wanted a nice and normal college experience. I'll give her that. At least for now." Klaus emptied his drink and headed back to his house.

He picked up his paintbrush and started painting, thinking of the lovely blonde at Harvard. She was probably still cursing him. Klaus wondered when Caroline had become such an important aspect of his life. He certainly had never planned for this to happen. Love was a vampire's greatest weakness, and yet, here he was, thinking of a girl he didn't deserve. But he couldn't help himself. Caroline was his light in this endless darkness he had been living in for the past thousand years. Caroline made him question his actions, he made him want to be better, because for some reason, she still saw good in him. He wanted to be the kind of guy that deserves her, but he knew that no one will ever be worthy of the goddess that is Caroline Forbes. As Klaus was painting, he couldn't help but think of that night when he had decided that her life meant something to him. That Caroline being alive was more important than the death of any single one of his enemies.

It had been Caroline's eighteenth birthday, and she'd been dying of a werewolf bite. He'd got sheriff Forbes to invite him into her house so he could save her daughter's life. When he'd seen her lying there, having made her peace with dying, something had cracked within him. For the first time in a thousand years, Klaus saw light. He'd saved her life, simply because he didn't want to take that glowing light away. That night, Klaus had told her all about what the world had to offer. He didn't want her to give up, he had wanted to show her the world, because she deserved to see what the world held. He hadn't realised it then, but at his family's ball, he'd known. Caroline wasn't something fleeting, she was always and forever. The blonde had managed to find her way to Klaus' heart. She'd wormed her way in when he had believed it to be impossible. Caroline had touched something inside him that had been forgotten for a thousand years. Klaus had known darkness, the shadows were his friends. He knew pain, death and fear. Hell, he caused it most of the time. And Caroline, sweet Caroline, was something from another world. She was ethereal.

Klaus looked at the likeliness he had painted of Caroline. His heart ached for her. How he missed her. Klaus missed her presence, her smiles, her beautiful blue eyes, sparkling with life. He missed the way she would keep him on his toes, yelling at him. Klaus had tried to forget her, but he'd failed miserably. No one had ever quite captured his attention as Caroline Forbes. She had bewitched him, body and soul.

**Caroline**

Caroline sighed in frustration and anger. She cursed herself for calling him. And she cursed the bloody hybrid. But most of all, she hated herself. She hated that his words could affect her like that. Caroline needed a life without the Big Bad Hybrid. She needed to forget his entire existence. Caroline took a deep breath. She made herself a promise. From this day on, no more Klaus. She was just going to pretend that he didn't exist. Her focus would be on her studies. And there was Jasper. He seemed nice. And so far, it didn't seem likely for him to be connected to anything supernatural. Normal. That was exactly what she needed.

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><p>Author's note<p>

I hope it was worth the wait. I'm going to try and upload again next week, but I can't make any promises. University has started again, and soon I'll be swamped with work, writing papers and doing research. But I'm going to try and write. I really will.

Until then, thank you for reading and I like feedback. Reviews might encourage me to write more often ;) Hopefully I'll have a new chapter by next week.

Once again, thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 3

**Caroline**

"Are you ever going to tell us who the painting's from?" Elodie asked as Caroline walked in the room the next morning. "It's from an acquaintance. It's a congrats on Harvard gift. I hadn't expected to hear from him again." "Fine, I won't ask anymore about it." Caroline sighed in relief. No more Klaus, that was her new mantra. "So, are you going to go out with Jasper?" Marissa asked. "Yeah, he seems nice, so why not give it a try. Besides, it's been quite a while." Elodie shuffled to the edge of her chair. "Do tell." "You are way too curious, you know that? What about you?" Elodie slumped back. "As much as I would like to take part in this conversation, I have class. Besides it's not like I have much experience in that department. You two have fun and I'll see you later." Marissa got up and left for her class.

"So, Elodie, do tell." Caroline said with a small smile. "Well, I had a couple of boyfriends. After I became a vampire it just became weird to date, you know. First it was about learning how to control my thirst and not accidentally bite them. And then I had to be careful when making out or having sex. I couldn't move too fast or too eagerly. There were times that I had to compel them. After a while, it just became too much of an investment. No more relationships for me, I go for sex. Besides, what's the point in trying to connect with someone, building a relationship, when in the end you're just going to put an end to it. I don't care much about investing too much of my time in something that I know won't work." "Well, that's one way to look at it." Elodie looked at Caroline in disbelief. "How do you look at it?" "I give it a try. Sure, my relationships with humans won't be forever, but there are also other immortals out there. I've only dated one human while being a vampire, but it turned sour when he found out that I was a vampire." "You told him that? That's a way to ruin a relationship." Caroline was debating whether to tell Elodie about the supernatural nature of her hometown. "I didn't tell him, he found out. And besides, it was for the best. We're still friends, though. I dated a werewolf after that and another vampire. Neither one of those relationships worked out. I've been single for a couple of months now." "You dated a werewolf? And another vampire? How many supernaturals do you know?" Elodie asked. "A couple. My hometown was kind of a breeding ground for that sort of thing." "I have a feeling there's more to that than you're willing to tell right now, but I won't push. You'll tell me when you know me better. Or not."

"Thank you. How long have you been a vampire, if you don't mind me asking." Elodie looked at Caroline and seemed to think it over for a moment. "Almost a year now. I was turned when I was eighteen. You?" "Almost three years. I'm seventeen forever." Caroline said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Being young and beautiful forever. I guess there are a lot of people who'd envy us for that." "It's not all sunshine and roses." Caroline liked being a vampire and she didn't want to be human again, but there are still some things she would never get. "I'm guessing you weren't turned voluntarily?" Elodie asked. "Nope, but I've accepted it. And in all honesty, I like who I am now."

"Well, being a vampire does have its perks. My brother turned me, you know. He gave me the choice on my eighteenth birthday. After considering his offer, I took it. I always wanted more from my life and this is what I got. I'm pretty satisfied with the way it turned out to be." Caroline hadn't seen that coming. "Wow, that must've been the toughest decision you had to make." "Would you take it?" Again, Elodie side tracked Caroline by asking that question. Would she? "I honestly don't know. Luckily I'll never have to make that call. I didn't choose to become a vampire, but I'd like to think I've grown into it. What about your brother? And your parents?" "My parents died when I was younger. My brother was all I had. When he became a vampire, he tried to control everything. I still don't know who turned him. He somehow managed to get a grip on himself and he tried to hold on to the person he was, for me. Marissa knew a witch who could help her with the daylight ring and voila, there we have it. The transition wasn't the most fun part, but my brother stood by me the entire time. I learnt to control my cravings and I've never killed anyone. What was it like for you?"

"Disorienting. I'd been in a car accident and was out cold, my life had been balancing on a thread. One of my best friends, Elena, asked a vampire to give me some blood so I could heal. The blood was still in my system when some vampire bitch decided to use me as a pawn in one of her games. She suffocated me with a pillow and I died, with vampire blood still in my system. I hadn't really understood what had happened. I hadn't been aware of the existence of vampires and other supernatural beings. I'd woken up, disoriented and hungry. I drank blood and finished my transition into a vampire. Stefan was the one who helped me through. Stefan had asked a witch to make me a daylight ring. And here I am." Caroline hadn't intended to tell the whole story. And she was also surprised that she didn't bore any hatred towards Katherine anymore. It was strange, but after everything, Caroline had somehow forgiven the girl. "That's quite the story. This Elena, is she still human?" "No, she's a vampire." Elodie nodded. "Let me get this straight. You have a friend who's a witch, your two best friends are vampires and you've dated a werewolf and another vampire? Did I leave anyone out?" "There's Stefan's older brother, Damon, who's also a vampire. And then there are some that have passed through town. But that's basically it." She left the hybrid and Originals story out. Caroline believed that she could trust Elodie and Marissa, but she just didn't want to get into it. Besides, talking about the Originals meant mentioning Klaus and that went against her new mantra.

Caroline managed to get a normal life for about a semester, which all in all, wasn't a bad achievement. Unfortunately, things couldn't remain supernatural free forever. Caroline's first semester at Harvard had been wonderful. She'd been dating Jasper for a while now and she was genuinely happy. Jasper was nice and sweet, and most importantly normal. She'd aced her tests and after spending winter break in Mystic Falls, where much to her surprise, everything was normal too. Who would've thought? But since most of the supernatural community had set up home someplace else, it wasn't that big of an oddity. Caroline headed back to Harvard, ready for another normal semester.

The semester had barely begun when Caroline's new normal world started crumbling down.

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><p><strong>Author's note<strong>

I know it's a short chapter, but it's a transition chapter to the rest of the story. And you can get excited because in the next chapter, some other characters from TVD will appear. I should also give fair warning, there won't be much Klaus in the coming parts. My apologies for all you Klaroliners, but I have my reasons. I take the whole '_He's your first love, I intend to be your last_' line very serious. And Klaus had a point there. He's like a 1000 years old. Caroline's life has only just begun, in my opinion, she needs time to figure out what she really wants. And in order to do that, she needs to do a lot of things before committing herself to an eternity with Klaus. So I hope you understand and you're willing to see it through. And for those of you doubting whether this means that only by the end of the story there will be actual Klaus and Caroline interaction, fear not, Klaus will make several appearances before Caroline's graduation from Harvard.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's note**

As I told you before, this won't feature Klaus, it will, however, feature two of my favourite characters from TVD, so go and get excited. Also, last chapter, Caroline was starting her second semester. Yay :)

Thanks for reading and I hope you like it.

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><p><strong>Caroline<strong>

Caroline still had some time before Jasper had to go to class, so she'd decided to make the most of it. "Isn't this cute. Seems like you've found something to drown out your dirty little thoughts about Klaus." Caroline stepped back from Jasper's lips and eyed the perky brunette that was standing there with an amused look on her face. "Please don't tell me you turned your humanity off again, Elena." Caroline said when she saw Elena. "Of course not, Care. I do not want to relive those days. So, who's the guy?" "I'm Jasper." Caroline eyed Elena warily, there was something different about her. "Well Jasper, nice to meet you, I'm Elena. One of Caroline's oldest friends." "Nice to meet you, Elena. Caroline has told me a lot about you." Caroline looked at the brunette a bit more closely. "Nice to meet you too, Jasper. Unfortunately, Caroline hasn't told me anything about you. I don't really blame her, though. You seem like quite the bore." Caroline was exasperated and dumbfounded. This wasn't Elena. Caroline suddenly gasped and threw the brunette against the wall. "Katherine?" "The cute one's back. Way to go, Blondie." Katherine pushed Caroline back with ease. "Sorry, Barbie, I have five hundred years on you. This won't end well for you." "How is this even possible? I saw Stefan stab you with the traveller knife." For once, Katherine didn't have anything to say.

"Caroline, what's going on?" Caroline cursed, she'd totally forgotten about Jasper. "Forget what just happened here. You never met Katherine or Elena and you never saw any of this. You will go back to your dorm and then you'll head to your class." Caroline compelled Jasper and he went on his way. "Well, aren't you going to kill me or something?" Katherine asked Caroline. Caroline sighed. She didn't know what to do. This was Katherine. The girl who had killed her. "Look, you're obviously a bit torn. Believe it or not, Caroline, I didn't come here to kill you. Not this time. I actually do need your help." "Wow, Katherine Pierce coming to me for help. If this is about me putting in a good word with Klaus, you can forget it. That's over and done with." Katherine flipped her hair back. "Oh please, Klaus would do anything for you. I honestly don't get the appeal. You're a baby vampire, you haven't lived, you're a goody two shoes, righteous and you barely know what being a vampire is about. But hey, maybe he's into that sort of thing." Caroline lost it and broke a leg of one of the chairs, using it as a stake. She pushed Katherine back against the wall, this time taking the brunette entirely by surprise. Caroline held the stake to her heart. "Way to go Kitty Kat. If she kills you, who's going to help me out? I told you not to get on her bad side. You should've been a bit more nicer, darling." A male voice sounded. Caroline looked at the newcomer and immediately released Katherine. She pointed her stake at him.

"Kol? You're alive too?" Kol eyed Caroline in surprise. "You can see me?" "You're kind of hard to miss." Caroline retorted. "Well, this is good news. I guess I'm not alone in this anymore. He's dead, Caroline. Kol's the one who needs help. It'll be easier if he explains it." Caroline's eyes slid from Kol to Katherine and back to Kol. She looked at him expectantly. "Here's the thing. I'm still on the Other Side, but there are some things I need to figure out about this place. Unfortunately, I'm incorporeal, which means I can't grab the books to find information. A week or two ago, Katherine and I crossed paths. I knew she had died, and I was bored, so I struck up a conversation. Turned out, Katherine wasn't dead anymore, yet for some reason, she could see me. I asked for her help with this and she agreed. This task is too big to deal with alone, so we decided that she needed help. Since Katherine doesn't have that many people to fall back on, we thought that you were most likely to help." "What about your siblings? Surely, Elijah or Rebekah would help. Hell, Klaus would probably even help you. Why not ask Katherine to play intermediary there? I have my life now. I'm done with all the supernatural things. I'm going for a normal college experience." She heard Katherine stifle a laugh and miserably failing at it. Kol glared at Katherine before answering.

"Well, my siblings would ask questions and I'd rather not answer them. They have their own things to figure out. Besides, I doubt they would even believe Katerina. And I'd rather not have them know what I am up to. I love them, but they would most certainly ruin things." "Well, isn't it nice of you to have that much faith in them." Kol wanted to say something, but Katherine was ahead of him. "Look Caroline, I know you have no reason to help us. You have this life you're trying to build for yourself and I am certainly not going to try to take this one away from you too. But, you were right when you said that I haven't got anyone I can ask for help. I'm a manipulative bitch, I know. I've looked out for myself, and I've been able to survive like that for five hundred years. Being Elena and meeting Nadia and dying has put things in an interesting light for me. That's why we came to you. You're a good person. You genuinely care. And in my opinion, your friends in Mystic Fall don't value you enough. If you don't want to do this, I'll do this on my own. I'll make it work. I won't kill you, I won't retaliate. I'll just leave and let you get back to your normal, supernatural free life." Caroline was surprised by Katherine's words and looking at Kol, she could see her surprise mirrored in his face. Caroline sighed. "Look, I'll need to think about this, okay? It's not every day you have a five hundred year old vampire and a dead Original at your door asking for help. I have to go to class and I just, I need to think." Caroline headed out the door and made her way to class.

Caroline was relieved when she sat down in her seat. This day had gone from crazy to entirely out of control. It was one thing that Katherine had somehow managed to rise from the dead, but being haunted by Kol Mikaelson's ghost was something else all together. And they wanted her help. Couldn't she have one year of peace? Only one year would've been enough. But no, that was apparently too much to ask. She could say no, of course. Katherine was right, she didn't owe them anything, right? Caroline looked around the auditorium and almost jumped in surprise when she realised that the younger Mikaelson was sitting next to her. "Hello darling. Don't mind me, I'm just here for class." Kol said with the signature Mikaelson smirk. Caroline ignored him and started taking notes when the professor started his lecture. During class Kol just behaved like a normal student. Well, almost. After a while, Kol got up and started walking around. No one else was disturbed by it, because, duh, they couldn't see him. Now and then Kol stopped to look at someone's notes and chuckled. She glared at him, but he didn't seem to notice. Or he just chose to ignore it. "God, Caroline, this dude's like totally checking his facebook. I didn't have that when I was in college. Lucky bastard." Caroline snapped her head at his comment and looked at Kol in disbelief. Kol just shrugged. "Sorry, I won't disturb you, you need to pass." Kol sat back down next to her and left her in peace.

After the lecture, Kol walked Caroline out. "That was enlightening. I feel as if I have learnt so much just by attending class. Imagine what it would be like if I could spend an entire semester here. Maybe Kitty Kat would like to go to college one day." Caroline laughed at Kol's statement. She couldn't imagine Katherine going to college. It didn't really seem like her thing. "Yeah, one can still hope, right? So, this is Harvard. I've never been. I did Oxford, only to get Elijah off my back for calling me an uneducated heathen. Then I did Princeton and Columbia, but that was more for entertainment than to really learn anything. I compelled my way through. But I must say, this place is quite fancy. I understand why you'd want to stay. It would be a damn waste letting this life go. I mean, look at all these people. They're full of life, so much potential. They're making the best of it, because this is the only shot they have at becoming someone. That's the beauty of mortality, isn't it? You try to make every moment count. Because you only got one life, right? Being a vampire changes things. You get hundreds of lives to get it right, to make the best of it. You never wonder about whether one day it might end, because you truly have an eternity. But for them, it's now or never." Caroline looked at Kol, surprised by his words. It was easy to be deceived by his boyish looks, but this man had lived a thousand years. He seemed so carefree in this moment, but there was something sad in his expression. Caroline felt a small tug at her heart. She sighed. "Why the sigh, sweet Caroline?" Caroline turned to face him, her mind made up. "I'll help." She whispered softly, but Kol caught it. His face lit up. "You will?" Kol sounded a bit surprised, but shrugged and started walking again. "Let's find our Kitty Kat and celebrate."

They met up in a bar. Katherine waved at them enthusiastically from a table in the back. Caroline made her way over there and sat down. Kol slid in next to her. "I took the liberty of ordering champagne. This call for a celebration. Kol, I'm sorry you don't get to enjoy it." Katherine said as the waiter brought over the champagne. Katherine raised her glass. "Here's to a partnership." "Hear hear." Kol said as Caroline raised her glass too. "I know I said I'd agree to help, but there are some conditions. I'd like to get my degree. I'll only be available during summer break and if it has to, on weekends." "We sort of figured. That's why you're going to be doing research mostly." Kol said. They really had thought this through. "What exactly are we looking for anyway?" "A grimoire." Katherine and Kol said in unison.

"Does this grimoire have a name? Or an owner we can track down?" "Please, Barbie, if it were that simple I wouldn't be needing your help. Thing is, Kol knew a witch in the eleventh or twelfth century. This witch had communicated with Qetsiyah and learnt some of the secrets about the Other Side. She also knew how to bring someone back from the Other Side, without anyone having to die in the progress." Caroline looked at Kol and Katherine in disbelief. "Are you for real?" "Of course we are darling. Besides, there are a lot more things in Gaia's grimoire." "What about contacting this Gaia? Isn't she on the other side or something?" Caroline proposed. "We've already tried that. It's as if she's impossible to find. I've been trying to find her ever since I died. My best guess is that she is either still alive, living somewhere in secret or that she has found a way to remain under the radar, either alive or dead." It was plausible. If this Gaia witch was powerful enough to figure out a way to bring someone back from the dead without having to pay a price, she might very well be able to conceal herself.

"Then where do we start?" Caroline felt excited about this new project, but also a bit frightened. She already figured that Kol wanted to grimoire to come back from the dead. And Katherine was probably in it for figuring out how she had come back. Who knows what else might be in it. Maybe there was a way for Bonnie to stop being the anchor. "That is an excellent question. I met Gaia several times, always in a different place, over the course of two decades. I wondered why we'd crossed paths so many times, but she told me that I shouldn't worry my pretty little head about it. Katerina has already been kind enough to retrace my footsteps on a map. It's probably best if we go over it someplace other than here. What we need to figure out is whether this grimoire has ever fallen into the hands of other witches or whether it is in use right now. If so, we track down the witch and kindly ask her to help us out. If not, we find out where Gaia may have hidden it." "And how do you suggest we do that?"

"That's where you come in. You do the research, here at Harvard. You have a library at your disposal, I'm sure you'll be able to find some interesting works on witchcraft and possibly on grimoires. We look for witchtrials, extraordinary weather, freaky occurrences, anything that we can associate with powerful witches. You will relay your information to Katherine and she will go delve a bit deeper. She'll visit the places or consult records and whatnot." Caroline wasn't sure whether this was going to work, but she didn't have a better plan. And if Katherine was on board with this, then so was she. It wasn't like she was going to be the one to have to do the heavy lifting. All she had to do was read some books and do research. She could do this. "Alright. Seems like a plan to me." "Great. Do you think we can involve your witch in this?" Katherine asked. Caroline shook her head. "I don't want them involved in this. I have only known them for a semester. Besides I don't want them getting mixed up with Originals and other endeavours." Katherine held her hands up in surrender. "It was just a suggestion." "Alright. You're also going to need a place to stay. I guess we're going to start delving into this together and you can't be in my dorm." "Afraid that I might kill you in your sleep?" Caroline glared at Katherine. "My roommates haven't met Elena yet, but they might and I don't want to explain the whole doppelgänger thing. Plus, if you pose as Elena and they meet Elena and she has no recollection of meeting them, Elena and the others will know you are alive and kicking." Kol nodded. "She has an excellent point. I knew bringing Caroline on board on this would pay off." Katherine rolled her eyes at Kol. "I'll find someplace to crash." Caroline nodded.

"Now we need some cool codenames to make it all official. I'll be Captain Original, Kat you can be Cadet Kitten and Caroline you can be Cadet Cougar." Katherine and Caroline both snorted. "In your dreams, Cadet Cockroach." Katherine responded. "Need I remind you that I am the one who started this thing. I am your leader." "Please, Kol. You're incorporeal, you need us. Care and I will be captains and you can be a cadet." Katherine proposed. Kol opened his mouth to argue, but Caroline stopped them. "Guys, are you seriously going to discuss codenames?" "Every secret operation needs codenames. People can't know what we're up to." "Fine. We'll all be captains and we can call our operation Titanic or something. This ship is sinking anyway." Caroline answered in defeat. She had to admit that it was kind of cool to have codenames. "That's a good idea. Gaia's grimoire is from now on called Davy Jones' locker. I'll be Captain Original, Caroline you can be Captain Cougar and Kat, you can be Captain Kitten." "You suck at coming up with codenames. There's no way I'm going to be captain Kitten. I'll be Captain Pierce. And Caroline can be Captain Swan or something, she has the grace of one anyway. Or Captain Barbie." They both looked at Caroline expectantly. She liked the sound of Captain Swan, so she decided to go for it. "Captain Swan." "In that case, let's hear it for Captain Original, Captain Swan and Captain Pierce ready to set sail for Davy Jones' Locker." Kol said and both Caroline and Katherine raised their glasses again.

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><p>So what do you think? Do you like where the story's heading? Do you like the fact that Kol and Katherine are back?<p>

I've done my best so far to upload every week on Monday. I'm going to keep trying to do that, but I can't make any promises. I have a pretty full semester, I need to write two papers and I have a whole lot of tasks I need to do. But I'm going to try and get some writing in. Also, I don't really know where this part of the story will take me. I haven't figured it out. I'm planning on bringing Klaus in in Caroline's second year (only temporary, but there will be a lot of Klaroline in those chapters). I hope you bear with me and be patient. I'm trying, okay. I just need to figure out where I'm going to go with this. I needed to find a way to bring Kol back in with a purpose and I wanted Katherine because she's just a really awesome character. Then I thought of grimoires and witches and this is the result. Now let's hope I'm going to get somewhere.

Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. And if you don't mind, tell me what you think of the story or if you have an idea or something you want in it, I'll take suggestions. There's another four years of Caroline's college experience that needs to be written before she finally commits herself to an eternity with Klaus.

Thanks again :)


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's note**

Sorry for the delay. I had a lot of school work to do and I didn't have that much time to write.

Here's the next chapter, again no Klaus. Anyway, I hope you like it :)

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><p><strong>Caroline<strong>

Caroline closed the old volume with an audible sigh. She was getting nowhere. Caroline had been looking through several old books on witch trials and hadn't found many interesting things. She'd composed a list of possible witches who might've had the book, but there was no way of knowing for sure. And she didn't feel like sending Katherine to the ends of the earth without an actual concrete lead. So far, she felt like going to Scotland might be a good idea, also to Italy and France. She had taken a particular interest in the story of an alleged witch, Angèle de la Barthe. It had seemed solid until she found out that the witch in question wasn't real. She had been an invention by a fifteenth century scholar who wanted to show what witches were truly capable of.

The thing she found troublesome was that there was no way of knowing whether those witches were good or bad. They were mostly accused of maleficia, harmful magic, but that didn't mean that they were bad witches. She found it a complex subject to research and she was glad that Kol was around to help her out. He'd been alive during the witch trials and he had given her some background info.

Most witches that were tried weren't really witches. They just happened to suit a certain stereotype. Kol had mentioned something called the Malleus Maleficarum, Hammer of the Witches, which was the reference work for witch hunters in early modern times. Witch hunts were a thing of the early modern times, not medieval ones. Caroline hadn't really known that. Apparently the view of the witch who had an alliance with Satan was conceived during the fifteenth century. Kol was very well learnt when it came to the witch hunts. Caroline suspected it had something to do with Kol's interest in witches and magic in general. She'd noticed how he talked about witches he'd known with a certain admiration. It was like they held a certain power and he respected them for that. Unfortunately, those witches didn't know a thing about the grimoire or about Gaia.

Kol wasn't always the serious scholar, though. There were times when he'd talk about life during the Great Witch Crazy and how suspicious some people could be. He'd tell them that the times of the witch hunts was both an amazing time to be alive and one of the worst. How suspicious everyone was, not knowing who to trust or who might figure out the truth about who you really were. It wouldn't have been easy being a vampire back then. People were afraid of things that were a little out of the ordinary. Of course, it wasn't constantly like that. In reality, ordinary people believed in magic and didn't persecute every person that had magic. Most cases against the town's healer or witch were when things went bad, bad harvest, lots of deaths. They needed someone to blame. The herbal woman was an easy scapegoat, or the old unmarried hag living on the outskirts of town. Kol liked to talk about those times. He even said he'd helped some poor girls out during the witch hunts, by killing some of the people that were going to condemn an innocent girl. Later he'd admitted that the opposite was also true. He'd also had some fun in helping to organise witch hunts and then later kill some of the people that were going to be executed for their alleged crimes.

One evening, the three of them had gathered in a dark and musty corner of the old library and Caroline had asked why Kol had taken such a great interest in the Witch Craze. "That my dear Caroline, is because of something I was once told. I believe it was somewhere around the late medieval times, fourteenth century, if I recall it correctly. It was at the close of the century. The witches weren't associated with Satan yet and times were quite good. Of course not forgetting the Plague that had swept through Europe and the many dead that had come with it. Times weren't that great in that aspect. But-" "So are you going to beat around the bush or are we actually going to hear it?" An annoyed Katherine asked. "I was trying to paint a picture here. But if you insist." Kol took a breath and waited for a moment before beginning his tale.

"Once upon a late October night, I was walking around the outskirts of town. I happened to run into this rather pretty young lady who seemed to be in a hurry. Of course, me being me, I stopped the girl, not knowing what she was doing out there, so late in the evening. I told her that a beautiful girl like herself shouldn't be walking around unprotected. Who knew what could happen? There were evil things lurking in the shadows. You know what she did, she smiled at me. And it was a knowing smile. She was a witch. And I knew that provoking a witch is never a good idea. I stepped aside to let her pass. She remained standing where she was. She told me that it was a dangerous time for vampires and other supernaturals to be alive. I couldn't fault her logic. I told her that I wasn't afraid and that I was very hard to kill. Once again she flashed me that knowing smile. I suppose she knew that I was no ordinary vampire. She came to stand right before me and this is what she said: 'Hubris suits you, Old One, but I wouldn't be overly confident if I were you. Like I said, dangerous times. Soon, witches will be demonised. Mortals will hunt us and then they will simply stop believing in magic. You ought to be careful. One day you will fall. All of us will. I can see it somewhere in the distant future, centuries past the Great Witch Hunt. She'll come and she'll take back what's hers. She is the evil that is lurking in the shadows, watching, waiting. Soon, they will come for her and you will think that it's going to be the end. But she hasn't even started. Beware of the Woman in Purple." And before I could even blink, the witch disappeared. The wonders of magic. Whether she was speaking the truth, I do not know. I believe she was a prophetess or an oracle maybe. But she was right, the great witch hunt would commence and actual witches were burnt at the stake. And it did end. The only thing I was never able to figure out was who this Woman in Purple was. I have asked around and no one knew. Maybe the witch had only tried to scare me, but something tells me that she was speaking the truth. If only I knew who this Woman in Purple was."

Both Caroline and Katherine had been listening intently to Kol's tale. It was quiet once he finished. "Have no fear, ladies. I learnt that prophecies aren't always what they seem. Don't waste your energy in wondering who this Woman in Purple is. If she is real, we'll deal with her if she presents herself as a threat. Don't worry." "It's quite the tale. Did you ever see the witch again?" Kol shook his head. "Never. Sometimes I wonder whether it wasn't just an illusion. Or a dream. My mother was a witch, maybe some magic still slumbers in my veins. But even after so many centuries, I just can't seem to shake it off."

After Kol's story, they focused back on the documents at hand. Caroline asked Kol whether there were a lot of actual witches that were put on trial and executed. Kol said he'd rarely found real witches among those that were going to be executed. They knew better. They hid or fled or just kept themselves out of view. Of course, there were some witches that did get caught, sometimes they were even condemned by fellow witches. It had something to do with power, Kol said. Witches could be rather harsh on one another. They'd sell out others if it meant they could live.

The only thing that Caroline had to do was find the difference between actual witches and non-witches. It was easier said than done. All she had were huge amounts of records and large volumes about witchcraft and confession. It would go faster if Katherine actually was of help, but she had been in and out. She occasionally offered help, but she lacked the patience to sit down and go through all those books.

They had been on campus for about three weeks and Caroline had been occupied. She'd taken on this project and had dived in, head first. She still went to class and did her work, but her social life was suffering ever so slightly. Elodie had already remarked several times that she spent too much time in the library and too little in bars, dancing on tables. She'd also spent little time with Jasper, but she compelled him a couple of times in believing that they had spent some time together. Caroline knew she wasn't being fair to him, but what she was doing was important. And over the course of those three weeks, she'd grown closer to both Kol and Katherine. She'd learnt to appreciate Katherine's brash and bitchy attitude. She'd found it very handy when they went out together. Caroline started to regard Katherine as a friend, despite everything that had transpired between them. Still, Katherine and Caroline were two very different people and had very different views of the world and how they lived their lives. Yet, mostly, it seemed to work. And Kol, well, he was the joker of the group. He had this careless attitude and was blasé about a lot of things, but he was helpful and remarkably insightful.

"So, how long's this thing with Jasper going to last?" Katherine asked as Caroline ignored another call from Jasper. "I honestly don't know. He's great, he's a nice guy and smart and considerate." "But he's a human and dreadfully boring from what I've seen. You need some adventure, Care." "I've had plenty over the past year." "I wouldn't exactly call Lockwood adventure." "I wasn't talking about Tyler and besides, my relationship with Tyler wasn't all roses and sunshine." Katherine raised her brow in question. "Who are we talking about then? If not Tyler and I'm guessing it's not Klaus either, considering you're still mad at him for the damn painting." "Enzo." The name reluctantly left Caroline's mouth. "Enzo?" Caroline sighed. She hadn't talked about this since, well ever. She had refused to talk about it with Elena and she had shut both Bonnie and Stefan down whenever they had tried to breach the subject. "He was a friend of Damon's. They met in the fifties." "Oh, I remember. Enzo, hot guy, accent, bad boy. You were in a relationship with him?" "Yes, I was." Caroline tried to make it clear to Katherine that she didn't want to talk about it. Of course, this is Katherine and she doesn't give up easily. "What happened? He killed someone? Forced you to do something you didn't want? Turned out to be a copy of Damon? Or did he remind you too much of Klaus?" "None of that. He died." There was a hint of sadness in Caroline's voice. "I'm sorry." Katherine said sincerely. "Yeah, well, I'd rather not talk about it." "So, it was serious?" "What part of I don't want to talk about it do you not understand?" "Fine, I'll leave it alone, for now."

Katherine was studying Caroline intently. "What?" Caroline asked, feeling uncomfortable under the brunette's gaze. "I'm just wondering what it would've been like. Seeing you more relaxed. Or at least that's what I believe you were when you dated Enzo. He seemed to be a copy of Klaus, only less evil. He would've been able to let you loosen up a little, be a bit less uptight." She had a point. Caroline was less uptight with Enzo, if ever so slightly. It saddened her a little too, remembering what she had. She'd lost something, only Caroline never quite had the time to find out what exactly it was she'd lost back then. Her mood turned a bit sour, thinking back on Enzo's demise. "I'm right, aren't I? You were totally less uptight. Maybe then you wouldn't have been wasting your time at college. Why bother? You can get everything you want with a little bit of compulsion."

This snapped Caroline back to the present. "I am not wasting my time. I like college. And I bother because I actually want to get an education. This has been part of my plan." Katherine let out a small chuckle. "Caroline's grand master plan. Is it like a five year plan? Or a decade? Maybe you should come up with a century plan. For crying out loud Care, the world is out there. You have the rest of eternity to go to college. Harvard won't be going anywhere. Besides, what you're learning know will change over the course of the decades. Then what with you education?" Caroline shook her head. "I got accepted to Harvard, they offered me a scholarship, no compulsion whatsoever. Me, Caroline Forbes, has the opportunity to prove everyone that I'm more than just a pretty face. And maybe Harvard will be here for a long time, my mother won't. Her time is limited. And I want to do this. I want her to see this through with me. I want her to be proud of what I can do. The world can wait a little longer, this can't. Besides, I want a bit of normalcy, something resembling a human life." Caroline stopped herself from reminding Katherine that it was she who took that away. In all honesty, Caroline had long forgiven Katherine for it. She was better of as a vampire anyway.

"Normalcy? This isn't normalcy Caroline. A normal college experience isn't being hauled up in dark corners of old libraries, trying to find a grimoire that once belonged to a very powerful witch. Normal isn't helping out the person that took your human life away and turned you into a vampire without your consent. Normal isn't having a friend who is stuck on the Other Side. Your life isn't normal, Caroline. And it won't ever be. You're rooming with a witch and a vampire. You stock bloodbags in your minifridge because you refuse to drink from the vein. You're not living your life like it might have an end. And neither are you taking full advantage of the gifts immortality granted you with. You can have anything you want, yet you're wasting away. You're simply surviving and surviving isn't living. In all bluntness, you're a sad excuse for a vampire." "You can't help it, can you? You just have to be a bitch. And here I was actually thinking we could be friends." Caroline stood up, getting ready to leave. Those words were hauntingly familiar, reminding her of something she didn't want to face. "We are friends, Caroline. That's why I'm going to tell you how it is. Whether you like it or not. I'm going to push you, and maybe you won't agree with it, but I know you are more than this. You're more than just a student. You are such an amazing person, you're one of the best people I've ever met. You have a big heart and you want to make other people happy. And sometimes, you forget your own wants in order to do that. It's okay to want things for yourself, you deserve that. You deserve to be happy." Both vampires were staring at one another.

"Are you guys having a Kat-fight?" Kol suddenly popped up, but the girls didn't laugh at his joke. "You see what I did there?" Both Katherine and Caroline rolled their eyes at him. "Ah, at least there is a reaction. You two really have the synchronised eye roll down. Anyway, what were you lovely ladies talking about?" "A subject that will never be brought up again." Katherine huffed at Caroline's words. This earned her another glare from Caroline. "Maybe another drink? I just got here and now we can get this party started." Caroline shook her head. "Another time. It's getting late and I'm tired. Good night." Caroline grabbed her things and left the bar.

She didn't head back to her dorm, but opted to walk around. Katherine, the brunette did know how to push Caroline's buttons, but at the same time she was honest. And she was right, Caroline wasn't living. It was funny how Katherine was one of the few people who ever told her that she deserved happiness. Maybe she should start to live a little more, be more like Katherine. Of course, Katherine herself had always put what she wanted first and didn't give a damn about the consequences. That wasn't exactly who Caroline would want to become, but maybe she could do something she wanted to do. But right now, she was good with being at Harvard and helping Kol out. She had meant what she'd said. She wanted to get an education and she was enjoying her time here. What Katherine had said still echoed through her head, reminding her of very similar words once said to her. She sighed. She hadn't thought about Enzo in a very long time. Caroline considered this as one of the perks of being a vampire: the ability to shut things off. She'd pushed Enzo to the dark corners of her mind, simply because it hurt to think about. She had dated Enzo only for a couple of months, before he'd died, but she blamed herself for his death. And she was to blame, if only because she didn't chose him.

"You look lost in thought." Kol's voice sounded from next to her. Caroline looked up. "Just thinking about the past." "And you've barely begun to live." Caroline sat down on a bench and put her head in her hands for a moment, trying to push Enzo back to the farthest corner of her mind. "Does it get easier?" Caroline looked at Kol intensely, hoping he'd have an answer. Kol let out a hollow laugh. "Sweet Caroline, I wish I knew. I guess some things do. Other things will always stay with you, but time will create distance and with distance comes acceptance. Or something like that, I don't know. I'm not that great of a philosopher. I'm not the brooding type, darling. I act without thinking about consequences, I do as I please. I don't really deal with repercussions of my actions." Caroline sighed. She knew that Kol wouldn't really hold an answer. No one would. "Don't worry your pretty little mind, Caroline. Katherine can be painfully honest, but she does care about you. She wants what best for you. So do I. And you can always take to us. About anything you want. And like I said, you've barely lived. Some things won't look that bad in a couple of decades. There will always be things you will carry around with you. But they will become easier to bear, until one moment, it just becomes part of who you are. You accept the things that you can't change and you change what you cannot accept. Wow, that's actually a sound piece of advice." Caroline let out a small laugh. "Look at you, maybe you will be a philosopher one day."

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><p>So, what do you think? I know I sort of threw a lot of information about the witch trials and such, but that's because I'm very interested in the part of history. I've done a paper about witch trials last year, so I know a thing or two about it. If you want more of that, tell me, if you don't, let me know.<p>

What do you think about Caroline's past with Enzo? Are you curious about it? What actually happened is going to remain a mystery for a while. Do you like the dynamic I'm setting up here? Are you for a friendship between Kol and Caroline and Katherine?

Please let me know what you think. I welcome feedback.

I hope you enjoyed it and I'll try to upload again next week. And I hope this was worth the two day delay.

Thanks for reading.


	7. Chapter 6

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I'm so so so sorry for not updating sooner. I've just been so busy with college and my workload keeps on growing. But I've finally found some time to write. Yay :) In all honesty, I've also hadn't much inspiration until today, so it's not just the schoolwork that has kept me busy. My apologies.

I hope it was worth the wait

btw, I threw in a little Klaus ;)

Enjoy and thanks for reading

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><p><strong>Caroline<strong>

"Promise me." She saw Enzo's pleading face, asking her, begging her. Caroline reached out, but he was disappearing, slowly fading from existence.

Caroline's eyes fluttered open. "Good, your awake." Her gaze flickered towards the voice. "Katherine? What are you doing here? It's like way too early to be awake." Caroline was still groggy from sleep and a bit shaken by the memory. She tried to shake it off. "Please, it's like two am. Some would argue it's too early to be in bed. Anyway. I was thinking. With me gone, who's going to protect you?" Caroline sat upright in her bed and looked at Katherine. "Protect me from what, Kat? I'm a vampire, I can take care of myself." "Against puny little humans, you can. But my dearest Captain Swan, what are you going to do when a bigger and badder vampire wants to do you in? Or a werewolf comes out of nowhere?" Caroline resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the five hundred year old vampire. "I won't go out during a full moon and why would another vampire want to kill me?" "Caroline, bear with me, okay. You need to learn how to fight properly. And since I'm leaving in like six days, we have a lot of work to do. Luckily, we have the ghost of a thousand year old Original vampire who wants to help us." "Did I hear someone mention a superhot Original vampire?" Kol popped into Caroline's room. "Don't tell me she got you into this?" "Sweet Caroline, just amuse us. Besides, this way, Elena won't be able to stake you when she decides to turn off her humanity. So, grab a nice work-out bra and let's get this tutorial on the road." Caroline groaned, but got up anyways. Kol had a point. She quickly changed into some shorts and a tank top and followed Katherine outside.

Katherine halted in the woods. "This should be far enough from populated areas." Caroline looked at her surroundings. They were in the woods. She could hear cars in the distance. Suddenly Caroline was slammed into a tree. "Ouch." Caroline said as she tried to push the brunette back. The scraps were already healing, the tree was a bit bent. Katherine backed off. "That's what happens when you're not paying attention." "I was paying attention." Caroline said defensively. "You weren't." "You honestly expect me to be aware of everything all of the time? How in the hell is that possible?" Kol joined the fray. "Well, Care, that's exactly what you're supposed to do. The key is to be everywhere and nowhere." Caroline looked at Kol in confusion. "What does that even mean?" "It means that you use all of your senses. As a vampire, your mind works differently. You're able to process a whole lot more than humans. You're just need to learn how to use your vampiric abilities to the fullest." Kol responded calmly. "Close your eyes." Katherine said. Caroline looked at Katherine suspiciously. "I promise I won't attack you again." After a slight hesitation Caroline closed her eyes.

"What do you hear?" Kol asked. Caroline focused on her hearing. "Cars." She said, they weren't that far from a highway. "What else?" Katherine asked exasperated. Caroline listened more intently. The sound of the cars was pretty much drowning out the rest. "Ignore the cars. Tune them out. Focus on other things. We're in the woods, there's a whole range of living creatures surrounding us." Kol said silently. Caroline tried to do just that. She pushed the cars away and she suddenly became aware of a whole new range of sounds. "How?" Caroline asked as she opened her eyes. "It's because you're so attuned and used to certain sounds, you don't listen to what really is around you." Kol explained. "Close your eyes again and tell me what you hear." Caroline took a breath and closed her eyes. She listened and started shifting through all the sounds. There was Katherine's heartbeat, irregular, like that of all vampires. She could hear several heartbeats of animals. There was the rustling of leaves. The sounds of an owl flying over. She could hear the beating of its wings. A smile played around her lips. It was an amazing feeling to be so aware of her surroundings. To hear how the animals were moving through the woods, or the heartbeat of sleeping creatures. The blood that was flowing through their veins. It was like waking up as a vampire all over again. For the first time in a long while, she felt alive again.

For the next couple of nights, Caroline learnt how to use her vampiric abilities to its fullest advantage. Kol and Katherine were excellent teachers and Caroline picked up very fast. They told her about the changing in the air when something approached her and taught her how to deflect attacks. She was instructed in combat and learnt how to use her surroundings to her fullest advantage. She wasn't beating Katherine, but she was making process. Next time, she wouldn't be so easy to put aside.

"You look terrible." Elodie said as Caroline walked into the room. "Shut up." "Elo's right, Care. Are you sleeping okay?" Marissa asked, her voice filled with concern. "Yeah." When she was getting sleep. With her nightly training sessions with Katherine, she rarely slept much. It was usually four hours a night. It was unfair. She was dead. Why did she still had to sleep? Why did she feel tired? "You'd tell us if there was something going on, right?" "Sure." Caroline said with a plastered smile on her face. She went to grab a bloodbag from the fridge and drained it. It made her feel a bit better. "It's been a while since we've hung out, just the three of us. We should totally do something tonight." Marissa looked at Caroline. "Can we do it tomorrow night? I already have plans." It was Katherine's last night here before she left for the motherland. Katherine had insisted on doing something nice to celebrate or something. "Alright, we'll do it tomorrow, but you better not bail on us." Elodie said, pointing her finger at Caroline to emphasise her point. "You guys are the best." Caroline said before heading out the door. She was meeting Jasper for breakfast.

"I was thinking, it's been a while since we've been out. What do you think about dinner, tomorrow night?" "How about the day after? I promised Elo and Marissa that we were going to hang out. I've been so busy with things that I haven't spent much time with them either." Caroline threw in a slight bit of compulsion to win Jasper over. He smiled. "Anything for you, Care."

Caroline had a very full day, she had promised to herself to catch up on her workload and spent the rest of her time in the library. Around nine, Katherine came to get her away from her books. "Alright bookworm, time to get my going away party started." Katherine dragged Caroline away from the library. They went to their usual hangout away from campus.

"You'll be okay without me, right?" Caroline asked Katherine. "I'm Katherine Pierce, remember?" Caroline smiled at that. If there was one thing Katherine was good at, it was surviving. Not even death could keep her longer than a couple of months. "Are you going to be okay?" "Yeah, I need a break from witch hunts and grimoires." Caroline said as she leaned back. "I get what you mean. Let's hope I find something in Scotland." "I'm not sure whether we're going to be that lucky, but let's hope so." It was silent for a moment while they waited for their drinks.

"How's Stefan?" Caroline was caught off guard by that question. "He's good. Stefan's been travelling around the world, being all zen and such. He's enjoying himself." "Is he happy?" Katherine asked quietly. "I think so. After everything that had happened with Elena, I think he needed some space. Space from everything." "Space is good. Besides, Elena was only going to bring him pain. Stefan deserves better." Caroline hated to admit it, but Katherine made an excellent point. Katherine smiled. "You totally agree with me. Who would've thought? Weren't you an advocate for Stefan and Elena?" Caroline bit her lip, trying to come up with an answer. "I was. I still believe their love was epic. But I've come to accept Elena being with Damon." "Spit it out, Care. It's okay to admit that Elena isn't a saint."

"Oh, are we gossiping about Elena? Because I just want to say that I haven't forgiven her for coming up with the plan to kill me. Therefore I have a right to call her an inconsiderate murderer and wish her all the worst." Kol suddenly popped up. "Duly noted." Katherine said dryly. "I'm still waiting to hear why Caroline doesn't think Elena is so precious anymore." "Isn't she your bestie?" Caroline sighed. "Elena and I are still friends. It's just that ever since she became a vampire, she's been different." "You can say a heinous bitch, if you like." Katherine interjected. "Elena and I will always be friends, we've gone through too much together to let our friendship go to waste." "But you needed space." Kol suggested. "Yeah. Everything always has to be about Elena. Even when I got accepted to Harvard, things were still about Elena. And when Enzo was killed, it was still about Elena. And pretty much every decision I had to make in Mystic Falls had something to do with Elena and not stepping on her toes. It's just so damn frustrating. And unfair. Elena gets a free pass and she holds everybody up to immensely high standards, because she believes that everyone can be as good as her. And she's not a saint, for crying out loud. She has turned her freaking humanity off and went all berserk. And we all had to forgive her for the things she had done. All because poor Elena has lost so much and we would do well to remember that. So, once again, Elena got a free pass and we all had to suck it up." Caroline finished.

"Now tell me that didn't make you feel better?" Katherine smiled slyly. "It did feel good." She needed to get this off her chest. She loved Elena, but sometimes she just wanted to smother her. "Just because she's your friend it doesn't mean she gets a free pass for everything she does. If she hurts you, push back. Stand up for yourself. Bonnie has lost just as many people and their loss can just as easily be credited to Elena, yet you don't cut her slack. I never got that with you three. It's like Elena's the fucking queen and you and Bonnie are her handmaidens." Kol argued. "I never thought about it that way. And you're right, Bonnie has lost as much as Elena. And for some reason, this doesn't compare to Elena's pain. I always thought Elena to be strong, but Bonnie is the one with the actual strength." "I learnt long ago, that things would always be about Elena, everything pales in comparison. I think the time away from them will do you good." Caroline nodded in agreement. "The time is doing me good. I feel like I'm growing more into myself. I miss Bonnie and Stefan. I miss Matt and I might even miss Tyler. But I don't really miss Elena. Because for once, my life can be about me. For once, I'm not second best to Elena." "I'll choose you over Elena every day, darling." Caroline smiled thankfully at Kol. Then something suddenly dawned upon her. Her smiled disappeared and her face grew serious.

"I'm sorry, Kol." Caroline said sincerely. "For what?" "For not stopping them from killing you. Or warning Klaus. Elena may have come up with the plan and Jeremy may have carried it out, but I've still played a part in it. I didn't stop them. So, I'm sorry for the part I played in your murder." Kol stared at Caroline for a moment before shrugging. "I never blamed you, Caroline. Besides, even if you wanted to stop them, you wouldn't have been able to without having other deaths. They would've succeeded in their plan anyway. But thank you. It's nice to know." Kol's hand hovered over Caroline's. "You're so much better than all of them. You always seem to see the good in people. It's this rare gift you have. You continue to believe that people can be saved. I was there, in spirit form. I was in the house, Caroline. And I know that you covered my body. You were being a decent human being, even when you didn't owe me anything." A small tear formed in Caroline's eye. "It was you I saw then." She whispered quietly.

"For once, I was afraid that my brother's stubbornness would be the end of the one light he's had in a thousand years. But thankfully, he saved you, just in time." "Okay, this is kind of getting really sentimental and I don't do sentimental. Also, I'm not following." Caroline wiped the tears away before briefly telling what they were talking about. She left out the conversation she'd had with Klaus, because the last thing she wanted was to admit to Katherine that there were real feelings involved when it came to the Original Hybrid. "Wow. That was incredibly stupid from Tyler. He should've known better than goading an Original. Especially Klaus. And Klaus has saved your life twice. I really do believe that Klaus is completely smitten with you. You really do have a knack for making the people that are the most undeserving of you, care for you." Katherine concluded. "And now I think we need another drink." Katherine briskly said before walking to the bar. She did know how to steer a conversation.

"So, Elena's with Damon. Stefan's travelling. What about Matty-blue-blue and the others?" Katherine said as she put some beers on the table. Caroline smiled at the nickname Katherine had given Matt. "Matt's still in Mystic Falls. He's now the proud owner of Mystic Grill. Bonnie's with Jeremy, Damon and Elena. They're in LA. I've spent a couple of weeks there before heading back to Mystic. Tyler is off somewhere. I don't exactly keep track of him." "And you are here, with us." Kol concluded. "Yeah." "I'll drink to that." Katherine said as she lifted her glass. Caroline raised hers. "Cheers."

**Klaus**

It was already late when he got back from business. Klaus rushed to his studio to get some peace. Klaus took a look at his phone and noticed that he had one missed call. It was from Caroline. He cursed that he had missed it. How he would've loved to talk to her again. It had been too long. He was also very surprised that she'd called. After their last conversation, Klaus had believed he wouldn't hear from her within this decade. And yet, there it was. A missed call from the one thing that meant the most to him. He listened to it.

"Hi..." He could hear the nervousness in her voice. "I'm glad you didn't pick up and I'd rather you don't call back. I just needed to get this off my chest." She had been pacing. He could also hear the strain in her voice. She sounded tired. And there was also another emotion he couldn't quite label. "I'm sorry for what happened to Kol. I know it's long overdue, but I want you to know that I apologise for whatever part I have played in his death. At the time, I ignored my conscience and didn't stop the others from killing him. I was wrong. So, I hereby officially apologise to you and your family. I know it will not bring him back, but I just wanted you to know. I'm sorry."

That was the end. Klaus had not expected this. He wondered what this meant. Why would Caroline suddenly bring this up? Why would she even think for one moment that he ever blamed her? He now knew that it had been remorse that he'd heard in her voice. Klaus sighed and listened to the message again. He could hear it all so clearly. He didn't call her back, knowing that she didn't want that. And if he called, he knew she wouldn't want to talk about this. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder why. Klaus did know that he missed her.

**Caroline**

She hadn't been able to fall asleep. After their little soiree, Katherine had taken off and Kol hadn't stuck around. Caroline had gone back to her dorm room. She'd gone to bed, but had found it very hard to fall asleep. She'd lain tossing and turning before finally giving up and getting out of bed. Grabbing her phone, she'd dialled the one number she'd sworn to never use again. Caroline couldn't delete Klaus' number, she had tried, but never succeeded. She'd heard his voicemail. Hearing his voice after so long had been strange, but she'd been glad that he hadn't picked up. That made things easier. She'd apologised. Hoping that it would give her some peace. Then she'd climbed back into bed. And finally, after laying awake for a while, wondering what Klaus had been doing that he wouldn't have picked up. Wondering whether he still cared. And her last thing she'd seen before she'd fallen asleep was his face.

She was awoken by a sudden loud knocking. "Stop it, I'm trying to sleep." She groaned and turned back around in her bed, pulling the pillow over her head. Then she heard someone call her name. "Urgh, I'm coming." She yelled. Caroline hastily got up and walked towards the door. She was ready to yell at whoever was standing there, disrupting her sleep. But when she opened the door she stopped dead in her tracks. "Surprise!" The two girls yelled. Caroline tried to smile. "Elena, Bonnie."

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><p>Sooo, what did you think?<p>

I thought it was time to bring back some more familiar faces :)

Anyway, I think that it will only be one or two more chapters before I'm going to get to Caroline's second year in college and in her second semester, I'm going to bring Klaus in the picture. Anyways, let me know what you think. And once again, sorry for the very late update.

I'll try to update again soon, but I can't make any guarantees. I haven't exactly figure out where I'm going to go from here.

Thanks for reading


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